I Would've Married You in Vegas
by rachhudson
Summary: She can't believe she's done with high school now, just like that. And, really, there's no more fitting a way to celebrate than heading out on a road trip with three of her best friends. AU.
1. part one

**this is an AU story in three parts. **

**dedicated to mary gael, as always. :)**

**based loosely on the song 'vegas' by all time low, which is also where the title comes from.**

* * *

_i would've married you in vegas (had you given me the chance to say 'i do')_

((part one of three))

_i._

They head out on the Sunday after graduation, just the four of them in Quinn's brand new Ford Taurus. Finn's driving, Quinn in the passenger seat, her hand on his thigh, and that leaves Rachel in the back with Noah, who's already raking his hand through his Mohawk.

She can't believe she's done with high school now, just like that. And, really, there's no more fitting way to celebrate than heading out on a road trip with two of her best friends (plus Noah, seeing as he's friends with Finn and refused to be left behind).

She glances out the window as Finn pulls onto the interstate, and she watches the state of Ohio fly by.

She wonders how different California will look, how different _she'll_ look there.

She wonders if she'll even be any different at all.

* * *

_ii._

She's been friends with Finn for as long as she can remember. They've grown up together, lived next door to each other all their lives, and when Quinn moved to Lima right before freshman year, their duo became a trio. Finn became friends with Puck after joining the football team, and Rachel became good friends with Quinn.

Finn's still her best friend, though. She was kind of surprised when he asked Quinn to prom junior year instead of her (because they'd always said they'd go together), but then he and Quinn started dating, and who was she to be anything but happy for them? They're two of her best friends, after all.

Noah grunts in his sleep, one earbud falling out of his ear, and Rachel sighs. She thinks Quinn's trying to set her up with him, but Noah is hardly her type. This might be a long two weeks, but at least she has Quinn and Finn to keep her sane.

Quinn's fingers rub lazy circles on Finn's arm, and he laughs at something she says, her voice too hushed for Rachel to hear. Rachel frowns. Or maybe it'll just be even worse, having to watch Finn and Quinn in love, while she's all alone.

She's happy for them, but it's hard to be happy when you wish it were you instead.

* * *

_iii._

They stop to get gas and switch drivers somewhere in Kentucky. Rachel jostles Noah awake, rolling her eyes as he wipes some drool off his chin.

"Your turn to drive," she reminds him.

He blinks. "Where are we?"

"Kentucky."

He groans, but he pushes open the door of the car.

Rachel gets out as well, stretching her legs, and Quinn rolls her eyes good naturedly when she sees Rachel's expression. "Sorry," she mouths, but Rachel just shrugs.

"Want to sit up front?" Quinn asks.

Rachel bites her lip. She'd really rather not, but she doesn't want to appear rude. Quinn's just looking at her expectantly, though, so she knows she has to answer.

"Not really," she admits.

"I'll sit in the back with you, then," Quinn says, giving her a small smile. "Finn can keep Puck entertained."

Rachel smiles back, and soon enough, Finn comes back from the gas station convenience store and the gas pump clicks, signifying the tank is full. Noah extracts the pump and recaps the fuel tank as Finn starts passing out candy and food. He holds out a bag of Reese's Pieces for Rachel, winking at her as she takes them.

She laughs, pleased that he remembers they're her favorite, even though it's been forever since she's had them. "Thanks," she tells him, and he smiles.

"You're up front with Puck," Quinn tells him shortly, taking the bag of pretzels from his hand without so much as a 'thank you.'

Finn doesn't say anything though, just opens the passenger seat door and slides on in, Noah already in the driver's seat. Rachel climbs back into the car next to Quinn, and she eats her candy while Quinn gets out her ipod, offering Rachel an earbud. Rachel shakes her head.

Quinn shrugs, turning to look out the window instead, and Rachel leans her head against the cool glass as Noah puts the car in drive.

She glances over at Finn to see that he's looking at her. He raises his eyebrows when she catches him, and she offers him some candy. He smiles, wide and slow, and she pours some of the Reese's Pieces into his hand.

"Thanks, Rach," he says, his mouth full.

"Charming," she says, but she laughs.

Quinn glances over at them, frowning slightly, and then she leans up to whisper something Finn's ear, her fingers curling against his shoulder blade. Rachel's laughter dies on her lips, and she pointedly looks away.

She hates that being friends with Quinn means things between her and Finn are weird. She loves them both, but she's not so sure she loves them together. She doesn't know why, but seeing them interact and actually be a couple makes her somewhat sick to her stomach.

It's going to be a long two weeks.

* * *

_iv._

They stop in Arkansas for the night. To save money, they get stay at a dingy looking motel and get one room with two beds. She's worried for a moment that she'll have to stay with Noah, but Finn proposes that she and Quinn share instead.

"Dude, I'm not sleeping on the fucking floor," Noah spits out.

Finn rolls his eyes. "Fine, I will then."

Rachel's heart swells. He's so chivalrous.

"That's so sweet of you, Finn," Quinn says instead, standing up on her tiptoes to press a lingering kiss against Finn's cheek. He turns his head to kiss her on the mouth, and Rachel turns pointedly away.

Noah catches her eye, raising his eyebrows. She ignores him as well, walking over to the window. She pushes aside the thin veil of the curtain, looking out through the glass. All she can see is the grey pavement of the parking lot, and she doesn't know why, but she feels disappointed. She expected this to be slightly more climatic, traveling across the country, but Arkansas looks the same as Ohio.

She _feels_ the same as she did in Ohio. Shouldn't she feel different by now?

"You comin' to bed or what, Berry?" Noah asks, and she resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"We have an early morning," Quinn reminds her, and Rachel nods, stepping away from the window, letting the curtain fall into place.

Maybe she'll feel different once she gets to California. Maybe she won't be jealous of her best friend, won't have feelings for the one boy she's forbidden to have feelings for. Surely California will change everything.

It'll have to.

* * *

_v._

They eat at an IHOP for breakfast, and Quinn's the only one who orders bacon.

"What?" she says around her mouthful of meat when she notices the three of them staring at her. "How do you guys not like bacon?"

"Kosher," Noah says, stabbing at his eggs. "Berry's Jewish, too."

"And also a vegan," Finn adds.

Rachel raises an eyebrow. She hadn't realized he remembered so much. "Well, vegetarian now," she amends. "But yes, that still means no bacon. That doesn't explain why you aren't eating any, though, Finn," she teases.

He shrugs. "It's the International House of Pancakes, so I figured I should eat, you know, pancakes."

Rachel giggles, but she notices Quinn is glaring at her, so she quickly takes a gulp of water instead.

"Funny," Quinn mutters acidly, moodily stabbing at her bacon. "Can I eat my meat in piece now? Or does that _offend_ anyone here?"

Finn frowns and Noah rolls his eyes, but Rachel just raises her eyebrows.

"No?" Quinn clarifies. "Good."

They finish their breakfast in silence, and Rachel's blueberry pancakes test less delectable with every bite. Quinn's managed to sour them with her moodiness, and she briefly wonders how she's going to get through another week and a half (at least) of this, of the mood swings and the petty fights and the foul tempers.

Then Finn shoots her a small smile from across the table, and she feels her heart pound against her ribcage, the blood rush to her cheeks. Maybe she knows how she'll get by after all: with little stolen glances and smiles meant just for her.

* * *

_vi._

Rachel drives after breakfast with Noah in the front seat, and it's not long before they're in Oklahoma. He complains about her choice of music – Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits – but she takes to blocking him out, and she finds that the best way to do so is to sing as loudly as she can, which, thanks to her impeccable voice training, is at quite a loud decibel.

She's halfway through a rather dazzling (if she does say so herself) rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade" when Quinn points out a sign for a Cherokee trading post at the next exit.

"I'd love a little trinket," she says, and Rachel can see her batting her eyelashes at Finn through the rearview mirror. She quickly looks back at the road, but when she glances back up seconds later, she sees that Finn looks oblivious, his eyes still trained out the window. She smiles. Things like this shouldn't make her happy, but they do.

She pulls off at the next exit and the trading post is just down the road, so it's not long until she's pulled into a parking spot and the four of them are piling out of the car. Rachel tosses Quinn the keys as she passes a painted buffalo.

"Rach," she hears Finn call behind her, and she stops. "Come here." He's standing by the buffalo now, and his finger is crooked, beckoning for her to come stand next to him. "Take a picture with me," he says easily, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Best friends in Oklahoma."

She laughs, and it feels just like old times. She looks over to see Noah with a camera. She wraps an arm around Finn's waist, and she smiles, even though she can see Quinn scowling by the door of the shop. There's a click, and then Noah says he got the picture.

Finn doesn't make to move his arm that's still currently around her shoulders, and Rachel revels in it for a moment. It feels nice, to be close to him. She can smell his cologne in the soft, summer breeze.

She can feel Quinn still glaring from next to the door of the shop, so she pulls away, but she walks next to him as they head inside, his hand pressing lightly against the small of her back as he follows her in. She heads toward the charms in the corner as Quinn grabs Finn's arm and steers him toward the turquoise necklaces.

They're all so tiny and delicate, and she's thinking about getting a necklace with a small wooden star dangling from the chain. It's only ten dollars, and she thinks it would be nice a souvenir. Plus, the star would be a metaphor for the star she will inevitably become, and metaphors are important.

She takes the necklace to the woman behind the counter and gets out her wallet to pay, but before she can, a hand closes around her wrist. "Let me," Finn says, and Rachel raises an eyebrow.

"But—" she protests.

"I'm already buying Quinn a necklace, so let me buy you one, too, alright? It's the least I could do."

She knows she should say _But Quinn's your girlfriend_, and she's about to, it's on the tip of her tongue, but he's looking at her so earnestly that she can't say no. She just nods weakly, stepping aside so he can pay.

Quinn drums her fingers against the glass of the counter, her eyes never leaving Rachel as Finn gives the woman her money. It makes Rachel feel uncomfortable, and she knows that Finn is _Quinn's_ boyfriend, but she's friends with Finn and she's friends with Quinn, so it shouldn't matter, right? Friends can pay for things. This isn't weird.

Quinn's eyes don't leave hers, though, and Rachel wonders if Quinn can sense her feelings for Finn, the feeling's she's fought so hard to keep from rising to the surface. She wonders if she can smell them on her, or if they're written on her face.

Finn finishes paying then, and Noah mutters, "Finally," as they head out of the shop. It's raining when they get outside, big, black clouds heavy on the horizon, droplets already streaming from the sky.

Quinn shrieks, running for the car, her flip flops splashing in the puddles that have already formed. She covers her head with her hands, and Finn just laughs. He doesn't speed up at all, and neither do Rachel or Noah. They just take their time, letting the rain drench them thoroughly.

Rachel thinks this is what freedom feels like. For the first time, she feels truly on her own.

Quinn's already in the driver's seat when the three of them finally make it to the car. "What took you so long?" she snaps, turning the keys in the ignition.

"Lighten up, Q," Noah says from the passenger seat.

Quinn just frowns, punching the preset buttons on the radio in an effort to find a station. She finally finds an oldies station, and she pulls out of the parking lot with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" filling the car.

"_Yeah, I'll tell you something / I think you'll understand / When I say that something / I wanna hold your hand."_

Finn hums along, his voice deep and low, and Rachel can't help but give him a small smile. "You're really good, you know," she tells him.

"At what?" he asks lightly.

"Music." She remembers he plays the drums, has ever since he was little, but he can sing as well, something she didn't know until now. Judging by the way he's blushing, however, he doesn't think so.

"Nah, that's you, Rach," he says.

She frowns. "You _are_ good," she tells him. "I don't just say that to anyone, as I'm sure you know."

His lips twitch into a smile. "I know."

* * *

_vii._

She wakes up when they stop to switch drivers just outside of Texas, her head on Finn's shoulder. It's stopped raining, but the sun is still hidden by clouds. She sits up abruptly, but Finn just smiles at her.

"Have a nice nap?" he asks.

"You could have woken me up and told me to move," she mumbles.

"Nah," he says, "you looked too peaceful. And I didn't mind."

She doesn't tell him that she's not worried about him minding, but that she's more concerned with Quinn. Sure enough, she looks up just in time to catch Quinn's glare in the rearview mirror, right before she throws the door open, nearly knocking it into Noah, who's already filling the car with gas.

"Watch it, Q!" he says, but she just walks around and wrenches open Finn's door instead.

"Your turn to drive," she says, her eyes narrowed as she crosses her arms, waiting for him and Rachel to pile out. "I'm napping."

She doesn't even follow Rachel and Finn inside the gas station to use the restroom, just climbs into the back seat, presumably to sleep.

Rachel uses the restroom and then helps Finn stock up on snacks, grabbing him some Sour Patch Kids and getting herself a can of Pringles. She figures Noah would like some beef jerky, and she even picks up a vitamin water and granola bar for Quinn.

They pay for their stuff and head back out to the car. Finn goes to make sure all the suitcases tied to the top of the car are still in place, tightening the straps. Surprisingly, Noah's in the back with Quinn, but Rachel doesn't really question it, just hands him his beef jerky. He nods gratefully, taking Quinn's food as well. She's already turned away, eyes shut, blonde hair caught between her cheek and the window.

Rachel just sighs, sliding into the passenger seat.

"Don't worry about her," Finn murmurs as he begins to drive. "She's just – I don't know, cranky, probably. She's not used to being in such a small space for long periods of time, you know?"

Rachel nods, and she knows Finn might believe that, but she doesn't. She and Quinn are friends, but she still remember the conversation they had when they were fourteen, when Rachel admitted that she had the teensiest crush on Finn.

Of course, two years later, Quinn was the one dating Finn, and Rachel was the one with the stupid crush, but she figured Quinn had forgotten all about that. Apparently that was not the case, judging by the way she's been glaring at her all day.

Rachel swallows.

"This is a great song," Finn says then, reaching over to turn the radio up. Rachel recognizes the song, and she bites her lip to hide a smile, checking the back seat. Quinn's seemingly asleep. Her eyes are shut, anyway, and her breathing is labored. Noah's eyes are closed as well, and he's leaning against the opposite window, his fingers brushing Quinn's.

Huh. That's odd.

Finn's voice makes her look at him then, instead of the two in the backseat, because he's singing, his deep, soft voice clear and pure. "_Highway run, into the midnight sun / Wheels go round and round / You're on my mind_."

He looks pointedly at her then, and she giggles, knowing that he wants her to join in. So she does. "_Restless hearts, sleep alone tonight / Sending all my love along the wire."_

His voice joins hers, and she tries not to sing too loudly, as to not wake either Noah or Quinn, but they just sound so perfect together, like they were meant to sing together, their voices intertwined. "_They say that the road ain't no place to start a family / But right down the line it's been you and me / And lovin' a music man ain't always what's it's supposed to be / Oh girl, you stand by me / I'm forever yours / Faithfully."_

"We sound _good_," he says then, and she laughs.

"We do," she agrees, and she doesn't miss the blinding smile he sends her way.

He whistles along with the rest of the song, and she finds herself slipping back into the comfortable ease she's always felt around Finn, the ease that has sort of drifted away since he and Quinn have been together.

They find themselves talking about elementary school, about how he was her first kiss in fifth grade, by the monkey bars. She blushes a bit at the memory, but he just winks, saying he couldn't have imagined a better first kiss. She feels the red in her cheeks deepen when he reminds her that they went to their eighth grade dance together, and how, even in her heels, she was still shorter than him.

"Shut up," she says, but she's laughing as she shoves his arm lightly.

"Hey," he jokes, "I'm driving here."

The last chords of "Faithfully" fade out in the background, but he's still smiling, his eyes trained on the miles of highway in front of them. The sun breaks through the clouds then, and the sight of him is dazzling, a sliver of sunlight shining cutting across his face.

She doesn't think she's ever seen anything so beautiful, and she wonders what could possibly compare.

* * *

_viii._

It takes them a day and a half to drive through Texas, but eventually they find themselves in New Mexico, and it's so, so different from Ohio. The highway's lined with the red of the sand, plateaus jutting up in the horizon. It's breathtaking; it's like nothing she's ever seen before.

Rachel thinks that if New York or California doesn't work out, she might like to live here.

They stop in a small town to check into a hotel and head to dinner. It's Noah's turn to pick, and he chooses a slightly rundown Pizza Hut. Rachel ends up next to Quinn in the booth, Noah and Finn across from them.

"I just don't understand how you can't _see it_, Finn," Quinn's snapping, almost like Rachel and Noah aren't even there. Rachel sees Noah shift uncomfortably.

Finn sighs. "Quinn, not _now_," he says, but she angrily cuts him off.

"_Yes, now_. You're ignoring the issue, Finn!"

He stands up them, grabbing her elbow and dragging her a little farther off. It's not far enough, however, because Rachel can still hear snippets of what they're saying.

"—your incessant flirting—"

"Quinn, come on—"

"—making goo goo eyes at _her_ when you should be paying attention to _me_—"

"Quinn, please, you're being _ridiculous_—"

"Oh, _I'm_ being ridiculous?" Half the restaurant is staring now as Quinn's voice rises in volume. "At least _I'm_ not pretending to be unable to see something that's clearly there. Just _admit it_, Finn! _Admit_ that you've been flirting with her, and then just say you're _sorry_!"

Neither one of them move for a moment, but somehow Finn's gaze lands on Rachel. She gulps, looking down at her pizza instead. Surely they can't be arguing over her, but who else could they be fighting about?

Quinn huffs, and then she leaves, the door swinging shut behind her with a slam. She sees Finn cover his face with his hand out of the corner of her eye, hears him sigh, and then he walks back over to the table, sliding into the booth beside Noah.

"Must be her time of the month," Noah mutters, but Finn shrugs.

"Maybe," he allows.

He looks at Rachel instead, though, and Rachel knows he doesn't believe that. She's the reason Quinn's upset. She doesn't know how Finn feels about that, but personally, she feels incredibly guilty. Quinn is, first and foremost, her friend. She shouldn't be flirting with her boyfriend.

* * *

_ix._

Quinn's still sulking the next morning when they all pile back into the car, choosing to sit up front while Noah drives, leaving Finn and Rachel in the backseat. Silence fills the car, and it's eerie as they drive in the early morning sunlight.

_Don't worry about her_, Finn texts Rachel (so Quinn won't be even madder that they're discussing things without her, she figures). _She's just pissed because we've been hanging out more_.

Rachel raises an eyebrow, but she texts him back, fingers moving swiftly over the keys, _Maybe we shouldn't be hanging out as much then…_

She watches his face as he reads the message, his lips curling into a frown. _Rach,_ he replies, _we're friends. Best friends, remember? She can't dictate that._

Rachel sighs. She knows this, obviously. She bites her lip before she texts back, _I know, Finn, but she is your girlfriend, and if us talking and being around each other so much makes her uncomfortable, then maybe we should respect that. I'm still friends with her, too, you know_.

_We're in a cramped car for hours at a time traveling across the country_, Finn points out. _What are we supposed to do, ignore each other?_

She has to press her fingers to her lips in order to suppress a giggle. _I guess that would be silly,_ she allows.

_So… still friends_?

She nods, looking up from her phone and at his eager face instead. "Still friends," she whispers.

He holds out his pinky, and she giggles, locking fingers with him.

"You're my best friend, Rach," he murmurs, and it makes her heart pound more than it should.

She doesn't know if Quinn hears, but her expression is still stony as she stares out the passenger window.

About a half hour later, they come across a large sign that says "Route 66" in silver retro lettering, so they decide to get off at the exit for a photo op. Finn helps Rachel out of the backseat – Quinn furrowing her brow as her frown deepens, watching them from behind the large sunglasses that take up half of her face. She quickly pulls her hair back into a ponytail, and Rachel considers doing the same. The New Mexico sun is already beating down on them.

Noah tells Rachel and Quinn to pose in front of it first, camera already out, and Rachel thinks it'll be awkward – Quinn's mad, after all – but Quinn's anger seems to melt away.

"C'mon, Rach," she urges, and she wraps an arm around her waist, grinning for the camera. Rachel smiles, too, and then it's a few seconds before Noah says he got the shot.

"Finn, get in here!" Quinn yells next, and then Finn's slipping in between them, squinting at the camera in the bright sun.

Rachel lets Noah get a picture of just Finn and Quinn then, her stomach churning uncomfortably when Quinn stands on her tiptoes to press a kiss against Finn's cheek.

Quinn tells her it's time for just Rachel and Finn next, and she feels like it's a trap, but she steps toward Finn anyway. He wraps an arm around her waist easily, and she drapes hers across his back. She smiles toward the camera, but later, when she looks back at the picture, she'll see that Finn wasn't looking at the camera at all, but down at her instead, his smile wide.

It'll explain the look that crosses over Quinn's face right as the camera goes off. She covers it up by grabbing Noah's arm and dragging him toward the silver monument instead, thrusting the camera into Finn's hands.

He looks bewildered for a moment, but he takes the picture anyway. Rachel figures Quinn's trying to make Finn jealous, what with Noah's hand practically brushing her ass, but Finn doesn't seem to mind. He just dutifully takes the picture, and the Quinn stalks toward him, practically taking the camera from his fingers.

"I'm driving," she declares, heading for the car. "Finn, passenger seat."

He just raises his eyebrows in Rachel's direction, and she shrugs. She doesn't know what kind of experiment Quinn was just trying out, but apparently, it failed. She just traipses back to the car after Finn and next to a sullen-looking Noah. It's only been four days, and they aren't even in California yet.

She really hopes Quinn's mood gets better, because she doesn't see how it could possibly get any worse.

* * *

_x._

They stop for the night in Arizona, and they splurge and decide on two rooms. At first, Rachel's terrified that Finn and Quinn will be rooming together doing _God knows what_, and she'll be awkwardly in a room with Noah, but Quinn tells her they'll be sharing and the boys will be across the hall.

She lets out an audible sigh of relief, earning her weird looks from both Noah and Finn. She blushes and then ducks inside the room she's sharing with Quinn.

An hour later, Quinn still hasn't returned to the room, so Rachel decides to go see where's she's gone off to. The logical place to look is Finn and Noah's room, but she really doesn't want that to be the place where she finds her, so she heads down the hallway instead. She hears a noise coming from the small room just at the end of the hallway where the ice is kept, and she creeps closer, the light from the room falling into the hallway.

She's close enough now to hear the smacking of lips, the wet sound of kissing, and she freezes for a moment. She sees the silhouettes, and she takes another step to the right, and then they're in view: two people, about her own age, fused together at the mouth, limbs wrapped around each other as they kiss furiously. She sees blonde hair, pulled back in a ponytail, and a telltale Mohawk.

She covers her mouth with her hand to keep from gasping, biting down on her fingers to hide her shock, and slowly, she backs away.

Quinn and Noah were making out in the ice room. _Finn's_ Quinn. Her _friend_, Quinn. _Cheating_ on her friend, Finn. With _his_ friend, Noah.

She swallows thickly, hand still over her mouth, and quickly turns, heading back to her room. She lets the door click shut behind her once she's safely inside, and she just focuses on breathing for a moment: in, out, in, out.

She sits down on the edge of her bed. She doesn't know what to do. She knows she should tell Finn, but there's no telling what he'll do, and they're _so_ far away from home. But she can't lie to him either, can't pretend that he isn't dating a cheater.

And then there's Quinn. She's her friend, too. And Quinn doesn't know that she knows about her and Noah.

Maybe she can just convince herself she didn't see anything, and if she tells herself enough times, it'll have to be true. She decides to go with that plan, because there's other option that doesn't involve hurting someone else, and this is supposed to be their last hurrah. They can hurt again in Ohio.

So, for now, she'll just pretend there's no inevitable pain, that's everything's fine, that everything's the same. Even if it's all a lie.

* * *

**tbc**


	2. part two

**oh wow the response so far is overwhelming, thank you so much! i sincerely hope you enjoy part two!**_  
_

**also, as a side note, the trip these kiddos are on is basically the same trip i took out west from indiana to california and back two summers ago :)**

**dedicated as always to the lovely mary gael who was gracious enough to read part of this and let me know it wasn't too ridiculous,  
and also dedicated to delina, as it is now officially her birthday! i hope this doesn't disappoint!**

* * *

_i would've married you in vegas (had you given me the chance to say i do)_

((part two of three))

_xi._

It's not as easy to pretend that she didn't catch Noah and Quinn getting hot and heavy in the ice room as she thought it would be. She starts noticing their subtle glances, the way Noah's lips curve downward in a frown when Quinn grips Finn's hand tightly, the way their fingers seem to brush when they're eating a meal at a restaurant.

It's like she can't _stop _seeing it now, but she tries her best to ignore it. Finn's still oblivious to it all, and she really doesn't know how to – or even if she should – tell him.

They stay in Arizona an extra day in order to take a trip out to the Grand Canyon. They have to get there by train, and she ends up sitting next to Finn on the way there, his thigh pressed closely against hers. Quinn and Noah talk in low voices for most of the train ride, but Finn sleeps, so he doesn't notice. Rachel does, though, even though she's pretending to stare straight ahead, absorbed in her iPod. She can see them out of the corner of her eye, though, and she wonders how long they'll keep up the façade.

She wonders if Quinn's just stringing both boys along, or if her heart actually belongs to one of them. She doesn't really care to guess which one.

They finally arrive at their destination, and they pile out of the train car with the other tourists. The path leading to the canyon is dusty and worn, but Rachel just falls into step beside Finn, following the throng of people heading in the same direction.

They make it to the canyon within minutes, and the sight is breathtaking. It's literally miles below, trees dotting the ground, the jagged edges of the canyon jutting out from its stone wall. A cloud crosses the sun, and a large shadow moves across the bottom of the canyon.

Rachel inches toward the edge, her breath caught in her throat, and she has trouble remembering how to breathe. She doesn't remember the last time she saw something so beautiful.

"Isn't it amazing?" Finn breathes beside her.

She nods. She still has no words.

"Don't fall!" a manic voice screeches as she's jolted forward.

She screams, gripping Finn's arm for support as Noah laughs hysterically behind her. Quinn slaps his arm, giving him a reapproving frown.

"Not cool, man," Finn admonishes, and he wraps an arm around Rachel."You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she says, pointedly glaring at Noah, but he's laughing too hard to notice. She's suddenly conscious of Finn's arm around her and Quinn's lingering stare, so she inches away from him, and he lets his arm drop.

"That was _hilarious_," Noah wheezes in between bouts of laughter, and Finn punches him in the arm.

Rachel doesn't get too close to the edge after that, just admires from a safe distance, snapping pictures on her iPhone. Quinn has her camera out, taking pictures as well.

"It's beautiful here," she says quietly, and Rachel steps closer to her so she doesn't miss any of her soft spoken words. "It's almost like a whole different world."

Rachel nods. "It's surreal," she agrees.

"It just…" Quinn takes a deep breath in, lowering the camera from her face, letting it hang around her neck. "I guess it just reminds me of how imperfect things really are, compared to this. How this is something natural and beautiful, and then people get involved, and it all gets messy and – and _shitty_, you know?"

Rachel bites her lip. "I mean, people can make things beautiful, too, you know."

"It's harder though," Quinn says quietly. "It's a lot easier to fuck everything up."

Rachel isn't sure if she's referring to the situation with Finn and Puck, or if she's referring to something else entirely, but regardless, she rests a trembling hand on Quinn's shoulder. They stand like that for a while, just looking out over the canyon, and Rachel thinks this is the first time she's felt like Quinn's friend this entire trip. She feels like she's actually there for her, and she's missed being able to say that.

"Maybe, when you think you're screwing something up, you're actually just diverting to a different path," Rachel says quietly. "The path you were supposed to be on."

Quinn raises an eyebrow at that. "Maybe you're right," she allows, and then she raises her camera back up to her eye. "But maybe I can capture one last bit of perfection before the path completely changes."

Quinn presses down the button on top of the camera, adjusts the lens, and then all that is heard is the clicking sound of the camera shutter.

* * *

_xii._

Rachel can't help it – she squeals when they cross the California state line. Finn turns around, video camera in hand, to capture her reaction, and Noah, who's driving, just rolls his eyes, turning up the AC/DC so the car is practically gyrating with the music.

"How's it feel, to be in California?" Finn shouts over the pounding music.

"Great!" she grins back, also raising her voice so she can be heard. "It's like being alive!"

Finn chuckles, then he turns the camera on Quinn. "How about you, Quinn?"

She frowns. "Undecided," she declares. "It's the experiences you have in a place that should shape how you perceive it, not the place itself."

Finn just looks at Rachel, eyebrows raised, and she shrugs. He turns the camera off after that.

Quinn goes back to looking out the window, and Rachel wonders if she's weighing her feelings for Finn and her feelings for Noah. Surely she _has_ feelings for Noah? And if not, then why did she kiss him? To get back at Finn for flirting with her?

Thinking about all this makes Rachel's head hurt and her heart pound in strange rhythms in her ribcage, so she takes to looking out the window instead. She's in _California_ now. This is where everything changes, where everything starts making sense.

This is where it all begins.

* * *

_xiii._

Los Angeles isn't at all what she expected. It's dirty and crowded and so smoggy that the sun doesn't even break through the clouds until around noon. They check into a Super 8 Motel in West Hollywood, and she (naively, she supposes) had assumed that everything in Los Angeles was glamorous. Obviously, judging by the room the four of them are now staying in, she was wrong.

The carpet has too many stains for her to count, the curtains hanging in front of the window are practically shredded, and she swears she saw a cockroach scuffle past her in the bathroom, although Noah says she's just being dramatic. She thought that this was the town of glamour, the town of everything beautiful, but if it's true, she has yet to see it.

She doesn't want to judge the place so quickly, but she already feels let down. Her fantasy of what California would be like has to proved to be simply that: A fantasy.

Nothing's going to be different here. Quinn will still have Finn. She'll still have her secrets. Finn will still insist Rachel's his best friend, and nothing more. Noah will still be a pain in her side. And she'll still be Rachel Berry, the girl from Ohio, not Rachel Berry, the star.

She's still the same girl she was back in Ohio, and she was a fool to think traveling across the country would change that.

* * *

_xiv._

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is the one place she _insists _they visit on their day of sightseeing in Los Angeles. It's surprisingly not that crowded, but she figures it's because it's ten am, and only tourists appear to be in the area they're in.

She and Quinn both take pictures of various stars, following the trail right up to the Kodak Theatre, where all of the handprints of celebrities are imprinted into the cement. Rachel's heart pounds, and she can't help but think – well, hope – that someday, it'll be her name, her handprints, that people are gawking over.

Almost as if he's reading her thoughts, Finn inches toward her, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "This'll be you someday, you know."

Rachel blushes, looking up at him. "You really think so?"

"'Course, Rach," he says, an easy grin spreading across his face. "You're gonna be a star, anyone can see that."

She flushes, pleased, but she just ducks her head. "No one's believed in me the way you do, Finn," she admits quietly.

"That's silly," he murmurs. "They will. They just don't see what I see yet."

"And what's that?"

"That you're smart, and kind, and brave," he whispers. "And so, so talented."

She feels herself blush, and she looks pointedly past him, over at Quinn and Puck, who are talking in low voices next to Robert Downey Jr.'s imprinted footprints. "I thought it'd be different," she finds herself saying.

Finn frowns. "How so?"

"I just…" she sighs. "I thought California would have all the answers somehow, I guess. That suddenly everything would make sense, where I was supposed to go, where I fit in. That I'd feel like I belong here, or something."

"You don't need to fit in," Finn tells her. "You were born to stand out, Rachel Berry. And no matter where you go, or – or what you do, I know you'll prove that."

Quinn comes over then, Noah not far behind her, and grabs Finn's arm, pulling him in the direction of a souvenir shop just down the street.

"Come on, Rach!" she calls behind her. "We can get matching t-shirts, it'll be fun!"

Rachel sighs, but she follows her friends into the store. She helps Quinn pick out a suitable shirt that reads 'Hollywood,' and looking back, she'll know that there's no way she could have seen all the turmoil that will happen next. In that moment, she's content, and that's all that matters.

* * *

_xv._

She goes to get ice when they get back to the motel, and when she comes back, the room is in chaos. Finn is on one side of the small space, Quinn and Noah on the other, Quinn's eyes wide and terrified.

"What's going on?" Rachel asks quietly, depositing the ice on the table and looking at Finn expectantly. "What's happening?"

"They're fucking _lying to me_, that's what's happening!" He points an accusatory finger at Quinn and Noah. Noah squares his jaw, and Quinn grips his arm, pressing her face against his back.

"Finn, let's go outside," Rachel says firmly.

"They've been – she accused _me_ of cheating on _her_ with _you_, and the whole time, the _entire fucking time_, she's been sneaking around with – with _him_!"

A tear slips down Quinn's cheek, and Rachel grabs Finn's arm, gripping his chin with her other hand, her fingers grazing the slight stubble on his chin. "Finn," she repeats slowly, "I know you're upset. But you need to take a break, breathe, think about this rationally, so _please_ come outside with me. _Please_."

He looks over at Quinn, and then back at her, still breathing heavily through his nose.

"I'm asking you as your best friend," she says softly, her voice shaking. "_Please_."

He clenches his jaw, a muscle in his cheek pulsing for a second, but then he gives an almost imperceptible nod of his head, letting Rachel take his hand and lead him outside. She shuts the door behind them, and then he slumps against the wall, sliding all the way down until he's sitting on the ground.

She just stands and watches him, waiting for him to speak.

"She lied to me," he groans, putting his head in his hands. "I just – I can't believe she would _do_ that to me." He runs a hand through his hair, looking up at her. "You don't seem quite as shocked by this as I do," he points out.

She chews on her lip. She hesitates, then slides down the wall to sit beside him. "I – I caught her and Noah making out back in Arizona," she admits quietly. "I didn't know how to tell you, Finn, I'm so sorry. Please – please don't be mad at me."

He just stares at the railing opposite them for a moment, his expression blank. Finally, he lets out a loud, long sigh. "I'm not mad at you."

Her heart leaps more than it should at the admission. "I – I didn't know if it was my place to tell you," she says quietly. "I mean… Quinn…"

"I know," he says shortly. "Its – I mean, I know now, so it's fine. I mean, obviously it's _not_ fine, but like… I'm not mad at you, okay?" He sighs again, leaning his head back against the wall. "I need to come out of this trip with at least _one_ relationship still intact."

"Finn," Rachel whispers, placing her hand comfortingly on his knee.

"I mean, I knew we weren't even that great together," Finn says. "I _knew_ that, but… we were comfortable, you know? We knew who we were, at least I _thought_ we did. And – and maybe we were both unhappy, but… she could've just… _ended_ it, you know, instead of doing this and making me feel like _shit_."

"She still has feelings for you," Rachel tells him quietly. "I'm not saying she doesn't have feelings for Noah, but she has feelings for you, too."

He just swallows, eyes trained straight ahead. "If she cared enough about me, she wouldn't have done this," he says, and his voice is hollow. It scares her a little bit, to hear him sound so empty.

"She was probably scared of losing you," she whispers, and Finn looks over at her then. His gaze is more piercing than she thought it would be, and it catches her off guard.

"Even so," he says slowly, "it doesn't excuse what she did. I can't – I can't forgive her for that."

"I'm not saying you should," Rachel says quietly. "What she did was – was bad. Really terrible. But we need to get through another week of traveling together, so you have to be able to at least tolerate her, and Noah. I'm not saying you have to like them, but you need to tolerate them, just long enough for us to get back to Ohio."

He cracks a smile at that, and he glances down at her hand that's still on his knee. She blushes, making to move it, but suddenly his hand covers hers. His smile grows, and he gently squeezes her fingers.

They stay like that for a few minutes, but she knows they can't stay like this forever, so she sighs, standing up and pulling Finn with her. He doesn't let go of her hand.

He pulls a face as she reaches for the door, but she just murmurs that he'll be fine. "I'll be here," she reminds him. "And you just have to tolerate them."

He gives a firm nod, then he follows her inside.

Quinn looks up from her perch on the end of one of the beds, her eyes rimmed red, and she stands up, walking toward them. Noah stays seated at the desk in the corner. "Finn…" she murmurs, her fingers outstretched.

"Don't," he says shortly, and she recoils. "Don't touch me, and – and I don't really want to talk to you right now, okay? We're not – as of right now, we're not together anymore."

Quinn's eyes fill with tears, and she darts toward the bathroom, the sound of the lock clicking following the slamming of the door. Rachel sighs, making to climb into the bed Quinn left abandoned, but Finn's grip doesn't loosen on her hand. She looks at him questioningly.

"I – will you sleep with me tonight?" His voice is small, vulnerable. "Just – just sleep, I promise."

She nods. "Yeah, Finn, of course."

"I don't wanna feel so alone," he admits quietly, and she glances over at Noah, who's pretending not to hear them.

So she ends up sleeping next to Finn, his arm somehow winding its way around her, her leg finding itself hooked behind his calf. He's warm and solid and safe, a piece of security in this strange place. She swears she feels his lips press against her hair as she drifts off to sleep, but she can't be sure.

She finally succumbs to sleep, Finn's steady breathing and the thrumming of his heart the only thing she's conscious of.

* * *

_xvi._

The Santa Monica Pier is crowded, even though it's a cold, blustery day. Rachel grips her thin jacket more tightly around herself as she maneuvers through the crowd, Finn's hand within her own. They've already separated from Quinn and Noah, and Finn seems more relaxed now that he doesn't have to be in the same space as them. Rachel thinks they've gone to the ferris wheel, so she's dragging Finn up to the pier instead.

Finally, she gets to where she wants to be, and she lets go of Finn's hand, pressing her palms against the railing instead, leaning out over the water slightly, inhaling the salty air. "_This_ is the California I expected," she sighs.

He raises an eyebrow, but he leans his elbows against the railing. "Really? Cold, windy, crowded?"

"No," she says quietly with a shake of her head. "_Free_."

He just smiles, the corners of his mouth turning up. A large gust of wind comes in then, and instinctually, Rachel moves closer to Finn. He lifts his arm, letting her curl into his side. His fingers play idly with her hair as it blows in the breeze. He's warm and solid, and she snuggles into him a little more.

"I'm sorry," she says then, craning her neck to look up at his face.

His brow furrows in confusion.

"For what happened with Quinn," she clarifies.

"It's not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything, I should have seen it coming, seen the signs." He sighs. "But I don't – I don't wanna talk about her. I wanna talk about you."

"Me?" She laughs. "What about me?"

"Thank you," he says simply.

"For what?"

"For being my best friend."

Her heart falls ever so slightly, but his eyes don't leave her face, his gaze traveling to her lips. Subconsciously, she licks them.

"It's – it's no problem, I mean, you're my best friend too—"

"Rachel," he says quietly then, and his hand moves to cup her chin. "You're _so_ beautiful. You know that, right? How beautiful you are?"

She shivers, and it isn't due to the chilly air. His face is inching closer and closer to hers. She can feel his breath on her skin. Her heart pounds in her chest, and she wonders if this is really happening.

Then she wonders if he's actually aware of what's happening, if she's even over Quinn. She hurt him so badly. What if he's just projecting his feelings for Quinn onto her? She doesn't think she could bear to give him her heart just to have him give it right back when he's finally healed.

She turns her head at the last moment, and his lips connect with her cheek. "I – I can't, Finn," she whispers. "Not – not like this."

"Like what?" he asks, and he looks so heartbroken, she wants to take it all back.

"You don't – you don't want to kiss me," she whispers. "You're not over Quinn, Finn—"

"This isn't about Quinn!" he insists. "This is about me and you, Rachel. It's _always been_ about me and you. I was just too blind to see it."

Her breath catches in her throat. Maybe it's not about Quinn after all.

He cups her cheek, his fingers rubbing smoothly against her skin. "Rachel," he murmurs again, and she's thinking that he might try to kiss her again, and this time, she'll let him.

"Hey!"

Rachel turns then, Finn's hand falling from her cheek. Noah and Quinn area few feet away, hands linked. Quinn's glaring, her eyes slits.

"What?" Rachel calls back.

"If we want to make to make good time on our way to San Francisco by sundown, we probably need to be leaving soon," Noah points out.

Rachel sighs, looking up at Finn. He nods, giving her a small smile. "Alright," she agrees. "Who's driving?"

* * *

_xvii._

Noah ends up driving, Quinn in the front seat. He doesn't turn the radio on, and the car is filled with eerie silence.

Rachel notices a muscle tensing in Finn's jaw, and she puts her hand on his knee, rubbing tiny, calming circles on the fabric of his jeans. He gives her a small, grateful smile.

"Oh, please," Quinn mutters, and Rachel looks up to see her watching them.

"Don't, Quinn," she advises quietly, her voice dangerous.

"You think I don't see what's going on?" Quinn asks, and her eyes flash. "You think I haven't seen the way you've looked at him, the smiles you've shared, ever since we've been together? You are a _terrible friend_, Rachel!"

"That's not true!" Rachel retorts angrily, forgetting that they're in a car hundreds of miles from home, forgetting that there's anyone there but her and Quinn. "I watched you come in and say we were friends and date Finn anyway when you _knew_ how I felt about him. If you ask me, that makes _you_ a terrible friend."

"You had no claim on him!" Quinn shrieks. "But I did! He was _my_ boyfriend, Rachel!"

"And you _cheated on him with Noah_!"

Silence falls over the car. They both glare at each other, breathing heavily. Rachel feels Finn's knee slip out from under her fingers, and she glances over at him. He's looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispers, "I'm so sorry. I – I didn't mean to talk about you like you're not here, Finn, I just—"

"No, Rach, just…" He exhales loudly, averting his gaze. "I'm gonna go to sleep, okay? You can finish fighting over me with Quinn, it's fine."

He turns away then, scrunching down as far into his seat as he can (which, for a man of Finn's stature, is hard to do), and then presses his face against the window, clamping his eyes shut.

Quinn just purses her lips before turning back around, and Rachel sighs. Now she's in a car full of people where almost everyone is mad at someone else, two of them mad at her. She wanted this trip to be fun, but frankly, it's turned into a full-scale disaster.

* * *

_xviii._

San Francisco would probably be more enjoyable if Noah wasn't the only one still speaking to her. Finn isn't really talking to anyone, to be fair, and Quinn's still upset with her as well, so Noah's acting as a sort of mediator between them.

They all wander around the city in an awkward group – kind of together, but not really. Finn walks with his hands stuffed in his pockets, a few feet always separating him from the rest of them. He looks around, and he doesn't really acknowledge the other three.

Quinn latches onto Noah's arm, often leaning up to whisper something in his ear, and Noah keeps smiling at her, his lips even brushing the top of her head at one point. Rachel thinks that if she weren't still so angry with Quinn, she'd think they were cute.

She glances over at Finn to see him leaning against the railing of the Fisherman's Wharf, looking out into the ocean. Her heart gives a pang. She keeps trying to apologize for what happened in the car, but he keeps brushing her off.

She just wants _someone_ to talk to her. She just wants her best friend back. She wants Finn.

He still seems millions of miles away, even though he's right there. She can see him, but she can't reach out and touch him. She wonders what it'll take to get him back, because whatever it is, she's willing to do it.

She cares about him too much to let him go, to let him just walk away. They've always been best friends, able to tell each other anything, and even if she can't have him in the way she's always hoped – as so much more than that – she at least wants her best friend back.

* * *

_xix._

"We should go to Vegas," Noah says from the backseat.

Rachel just laughs, looking at him in the rearview mirror. She glances over at Finn to see what he thinks of this ludicrous idea, but he's still staring out the window, seemingly oblivious. Her laughter dies in her throat.

"I'm being serious!" Noah says defensively. "We're all eighteen, so it wouldn't be a _total_ bust!"

"It's not exactly on the way home," Rachel points out.

Noah scoffs. "So? We _make_ it on the way home."

"I say we go for it," Quinn says. "I know that I need a good stress reliever at least, and what better place than Vegas to unwind?"

"Yeah, plus we may be able to score some alcohol in Sin City," Noah adds (which Rachel blatantly ignores).

"What about you, Finn?" she asks instead. "What do you wanna do?"

He shrugs, just continues to stare out the window. It's breaking her heart, bit by bit, piece by piece. "Whatever," he says. "Doesn't make any difference to me."

"Finn—"

"It's settled then!" Noah cuts her off, raising his fist in triumph. "Vegas, here we come!"

Rachel sighs, but Quinn reaches forward for the GPS attached to the dashboard. She guesses they're going to Vegas. She _really_ hopes this doesn't turn out to be as terrible of an idea as she thinks it will be.

* * *

_xx._

It's incredibly hot in Las Vegas, practically stifling. They stay at the Circus Circus hotel, just off the strip (because, at twenty-five bucks per room per night, it's practically the cheapest deal they can get). Rachel doesn't even want to leave the hotel room, but Noah says it's bound to cool down at night because "like, the sun's not out anymore and don't you want to actually experience the city, Berry?"

So she's coaxed out of the room, and she ends up walking next to Finn as they wander down the strip. He can't put as much space between himself and the rest of the gang as he did in San Francisco because Las Vegas is incredibly crowded, but he still doesn't say anything, his mouth set in a firm line, and it's so unlike him that Rachel just wants to cry and scream that she's sorry over and over again. She just wants _her_ Finn back, as selfish as that may be.

They walk down to the Bellagio to watch the fountain light show, and Rachel ends up nearly pressed into Finn's side. She's reminded of the salty air of California, of the way his arm felt around her, the way his lips pressed against her cheek. He glances down at her briefly, then he swallows, hard.

She knows he's remembering, too.

The show ends after a few minutes, and they end up back in the crowd of people. Noah wants to try sneaking into a casino, but Rachel doesn't really want to get arrested when she's halfway across the country. She expects Quinn to talk him out of it, but to her surprise, she agrees to accompany him.

"What?" she says defensively when she notices the look on Rachel's face. "_Someone's_ got to make sure he doesn't get arrested."

Rachel just sighs, then nods. They've already gone, though, leaving just her and Finn.

He sits down on a bench a little ways off with a sigh, and she moves to sit beside him. "Finn," she begins, but, to her surprise, he cuts her off.

"Look, Rachel, I know you're sorry, and – and I'm not even mad at you, really. I mean, I was, but I'm not anymore." He's staring at the ground, not even looking at her, but her heart pounds against her ribcage.

He licks his lips and sighs, then continues. "I guess, seeing you and Quinn fight – over me, basically – made me realize how – how _fucked up_ this whole thing is. How fucked up _I _am. I mean, I basically just led two girls on, and do you know how shitty I feel because of it?"

"You didn't lead me on," Rachel says quietly. "I knew you were with Quinn. I fell for you anyways. It's on me, not you."

Finn shakes his head. "That's not what you said, in the car. You said Quinn knew about your feelings for me, before we got together."

The blood pounds in Rachel's ears, but she takes a deep breath. She supposes he deserves at least the truth.

"I've had a crush on you for as long as I can remember," she begins. "I mean, you were my best friend, and so nice, and chivalrous, and – and you turned into this gorgeous boy. I couldn't believe you even spoke to me half the time. But you did, and soon, I realized that I didn't just want to be your friend anymore. I wanted to be more than that. But I was fourteen and terrified of losing my best friend, so I kept those feelings and thoughts to myself."

Finn's looking at her intently now, so intently that she feels she has to look away. She picks at a corner of the bench instead, the peeling paint rough against her fingers. "Then Quinn came along, and somehow our duo became a trio. And it was nice, having a girl to talk to. I told her about how I felt about you at the end of our sophomore year, and she acted that it was inevitable we'd get together, you and me."

She laughs then, glancing up at him. He's still watching her. "I didn't even know she liked you, too. She never said anything, never even hinted. So when you told me you were taking her to prom junior year, I…" She swallows. "I didn't think it would be such a blow. I mean, we'd been each other's first _everything_. First friend. First kiss. I just… I guess I just figured we'd go together as well." She looks up at him and gives him a watery smile. "Stupid, I know."

"It's – it's not stupid," he says quickly, and his fingers brush hers. For a moment, she dares to let herself hope. Then she swallows and continues with her story.

"Anyway, I was happy for you both, or at least I tried to be. I mean, you're my best friends. But part of me… part of me just still hoped that maybe you felt the things I felt." She takes a deep breath, then pushes on, her words now tumbling over each other, because if she doesn't get them all out, she might explode. "And I'm really sorry that all the resentment I've probably felt toward Quinn just exploded in the car. I didn't mean to put you in the middle of that. She just – she gets _everything_ and I'm stuck with _nothing_ and I mean it's just not _fair_—"

"Hey," he says gently, cupping her cheek, and suddenly she feels like she's back at the Santa Monica pier, "that's not true. You have me."

She gives him a small smile. "Why were you so upset, though?" she asks. "I mean, I think you knew how I felt about you—"

"Just…. Watching you two argue over me made me think that maybe it was just some kind of competition you and Quinn had, and I was the prize. That – that none of this really mattered."

Rachel frowns. "It's – it's not—"

"I know that now," he assures her. "It just hurt to think that the two most important girls in my life may have been pretending, you know?"

She nods. "I understand. But you have to know, Finn, that I'm not pretending with you. I've tried." She shrugs. "I can't."

He just ducks his head, failing to hide his smile.

"I missed you, Finn."

"I didn't go anywhere."

She frowns. "You know what I mean."

He sighs. "I know," he admits quietly. "I missed you, too."

They just sit in comfortable silence for a moment, his hand still on her cheek, and then he asks, "Hey, you know what we should do?"

"Elope?" She's only half joking.

He laughs. "I guess we are in Vegas…" He raises a suggestive eyebrow, and she shoves him playfully. "No, I was gonna say we should get out of here. Go back to the hotel and gamble in the kiddie casino I saw in the lobby."

"What about Quinn and Noah?" she asks.

He shrugs. "Who the hell cares?"

"_Finn_!"

"Fine, text them to let them know where we are, whatever."

She bites her lip. "Okay," she agrees.

"Ready to get out of here?" he asks, standing up and offering her his hand.

She smiles, placing her tiny hand in his larger one. Somehow, they're a perfect fit. "Ready."

* * *

**tbc**


	3. part three

__**thanks so much for the overwhelming response to this story! i really hope you enjoy this final installment as well :)**

**dedicated as always to my awesome bff mary gael**

* * *

_i would've married you in vegas (had you give me the chance to say i do)  
_((part three of three))

_xxi._

It's impossibly hotter when they stop at Lake Mead just outside of Las Vegas. Quinn insists that she _can't _have packed her bathing suit for nothing, so she kicks everyone out of the car as she changes into it. Finn just stands next to a trashcan a little farther off, hands in his pockets, and Rachel joins him.

"Going to swim?"

He shrugs. "It's hot enough to. I just don't know if I really wanna, I guess."

"Well, _I'm_ swimming," Rachel declares.

"Really?" Finn asks with a raised eyebrow. "You really think that lake is sanitary?"

"I'm living life in the now, Finn, don't you know?" she teases. She winks at him before walking back towards the car, since Quinn appears to have changed into her swimsuit successfully. She sees him visibly swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing, before she slides into the backseat to change.

When she emerges five minutes later, her bikini on instead of her jean shorts and tank top, she's greeted by the sight of a shirtless Finn gaping at her, jaw practically hitting the ground. Noah punches his shoulder to snap him out of it.

"You act like you've never seen a half naked girl before, Hud," he says, eyes glinting.

Finn just glares at him in response.

Noah seems to take the hint and heads after Quinn, who's already halfway to the water.

"I… Rach, I just…" Finn swallows again. "_Wow_."

She blushes, glancing down at her pink bikini covered in gold stars. "Well, c'mon, are we swimming or not?" she says, and she reaches down to lace her fingers with his as she drags him toward the water.

All of the bad feelings between the four of them seem to melt away as they splash around in the lake, and Rachel hasn't seen Finn smile like this since Arizona, so big it practically blinds her and she nearly has to look away.

He grabs her around the middle then, and she can't help the laugh that escapes from her throat as he throws her over his shoulder.

"Finn!" she manages to get out through her giggles. "What are you _doing_?"

He doesn't answer, just carries her further into the water.

"_Finn_!" she whines.

She cranes her head to see him smirking, and then he dumps her into the water with a resounding splash.

She comes up sputtering, but she's laughing as well, smacking his arm. "I can't believe you _did that_, Finn Hudson!"

He just smirks at her.

Noah mimes vomiting behind him, and Rachel shoots him a glare. He just winks, looping an arm around Quinn's waist. Quinn shoves him, but he pulls her more tightly to him, pressing a sloppy kiss against her cheek.

"Gross!" she exclaims, but Rachel notes she's giggling.

She glances back over at Finn to see him watching Quinn and Noah as well. He swallows, but then he glances back over at Rachel, giving her a small smile.

She smiles back, placing at hand on his bicep, his muscle smooth beneath her skin. She gently squeezes.

"You're a great girl, Rachel Berry, you know that?" he asks, his eyes twinkling in the bright Nevada sun.

She just gives him a coy little smile, the water undulating around them.

* * *

_xxii._

They stop about half an hour after they've cleaned all the sand off from the beach, just outside Hoover Dam. They're almost in Arizona once again, but this time they'll be heading up through Utah and Colorado on their way back home.

"This is _amazing_!" Noah says, flinging an arm around Quinn's shoulder as they head to one edge of the dam. He leans against the concrete wall, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. "Someone should take a fucking picture, because this is some badass shit."

Quinn rolls her eyes, but she raises her camera to her eye anyway, stepping back so she can take a picture of Noah, who is now posing by the wall, hand under his chin in what is presumably a thinking position.

"First time for everything," Finn remarks dryly. Noah glares at him right as the camera snaps.

"Good one," Quinn laughs, and Noah pouts until she sighs, raising the camera back up to her eye to take another one.

Finn grabs Rachel's hand, guiding her to the edge of the dam. He just grins at her, leaning against the cement, his fingers still laced with hers. "This is kind of amazing," he notes.

Rachel just sighs, leaning out over the water, her elbows pushing against the hot surface of the wall. She's too high up to feel the spray of the water, but she can see it as it rushes past.

"Rach," Finn murmurs, and she squints up at him in the sunlight. He's looking at her, not the water. "I just… I need to do something, I think."

Subconsciously, her tongue darts out to wet her lips. His gaze doesn't leave hers, his hand still squeezing hers tightly in his own. She anticipates what he's going to do, so she whispers, "You know, you can kiss me if you want to."

He smiles, the corner of his mouth turning up. "I want to," he breathes, and then he leans down, pressing his lips gently against hers.

Her eyes flutter shut and she takes in the feel of him: the firmness of his bicep beneath her fingers, the way his lips shape perfectly to hers, the way his hand settles on her waist, his fingers splayed across her side. She feels the butterflies flutter in her stomach, and she wants to stay in this moment, halfway between Arizona and Nevada, her thoughts filled with nothing but Finn, forever.

He pulls away, resting his forehead against hers. "Sorry," he murmurs.

"No," she mumbles back, "don't apologize," and then she's standing on her tiptoes to press her lips back against his, her hands moving to grip his shoulders.

There's a series of loud coughs then, and Rachel breaks apart from Finn to glare at Noah. He's smirking, but she doesn't find it amusing.

"Can I help you?" she asks pointedly.

"Yeah, you can stop sucking face with Hudson."

"A little hypocritical, don't you think?" Finn asks, his hold tightening on Rachel's waist. She leans further into his side. "At least I don't make out with my friend's girlfriends."

Noah's mouth hardens into a line. "Dude, I – I'm sorry, okay?"

"So you'd take it all back?" Finn asks.

Quinn glances between the two of them, her eyes wide.

"Well," Noah answers slowly, "I mean, not really. I care about Quinn, dude. Like, I'm sorry you got hurt in the process, but…" He shrugs. "I love her. And, like, no offense, but I think I love her more than you ever did."

Finn stares for a second, pursing his lips, then he sticks out his hand. "Then I think we should call a truce."

Noah eyes his hand warily.

"Look, you love Quinn, she obviously has feelings for you, I care about Rachel, she cares about me. That's everything of importance, isn't it?"

Noah nods.

"Then let's shake on it, and we can stop this petty fighting about things we don't even really care about."

Noah obliges, taking Finn's hand in his own and giving it a firm shake. "So, we're cool?" he clarifies.

"For the most part," Finn concedes. "I mean, I'm not gonna be singin' your praises any time soon, but… we're still friends."

"Cool," Noah says, and that seems to be the end of that.

Rachel shares an amused glance with Quinn (because she thinks Finn's little speech has somehow made it okay between them as well) before glancing back up at Finn. "That was very big of you, Finn," she murmurs.

"I just wanted him off my back so I could continue doing this," he grins before leaning down to press his lips back against hers.

* * *

_xxiii._

Her hand is on his knee as he drives, rubbing small circles against the fabric of his jeans. They're just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Quinn and Noah are asleep in the back, Quinn's head on Noah's shoulder, his head on top of hers.

It's sweet, Rachel thinks. Maybe this trip made everything work out after all.

"How many days until we get home?" she asks Finn quietly, squeezing his knee.

"Four, maybe five," he answers.

She nods, licking her lips. She doesn't know why, but the thought of going home makes her anxious. Maybe she's afraid everything will change, that once they're home, things will go back to the way they were, not the way they've come to be.

That thought terrifies her. She's come so far in a matter of a week, and she can't possibly go back to the way things were.

"We'll be okay, won't we?" she murmurs. "When we go back?"

"'Course, Rach," Finn says easily, and he links his fingers with hers. "We'll be just fine."

She bites her bottom lip, and in a moment of weakness, she aks, her voice small, "You promise?"

Finn glances over at her. His thumb skirts along the back of her hand. "Promise," he murmurs. He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses it. "We're not gonna go back. We're just gonna go forward."

"Together?" she asks.

He smiles. "Together."

She squeezes his fingers within her own, leaning over to press a kiss against his cheek. She believes him, and she knows that everything will be okay.

* * *

_xiv._

The mountain roads are winding and the incline is terrible. Rachel's grateful that Quinn is the one driving and not her. She's on edge just being in the backseat.

Finn seems to sense this, slipping an arm around her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

She gives him a grateful smile, snuggling into his side. His fingers move slowly against her arm, brushing over her skin lightly. She feels his lips press against her hair once more, and she sighs, moving her head so it's resting on his chest.

"How much longer do we have in the mountains?" she murmurs.

"A long time, baby," he whispers. "Sleep if you want, okay?"

She nods, and her eyes flutter shut. She almost misses the word that falls so easily from his lips – _baby_ – but she doesn't; she just lets it soak in as her eyes fall shut, listening to the steady pounding of his heart beneath her ear. She feels his fingers brush against her shoulder, the car moving steadily beneath her, hears the light static of the fading radio.

Then she succumbs to sleep, hoping that when she wakes up, she'll be somewhere even more beautiful, although anywhere's bound to be beautiful as long as she's with Finn.

* * *

_xxv_.

They make another stop to do some sightseeing the next day at Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Finn keeps going on about how awesome it is that this place was in _Close Encounters of the Third Kind, _and when Rachel laughs and says she's never seen the film before, his eyes go wide.

"You _have_ to see it, Rach," he insists, gripping her hand tightly in his as they step toward the large, stone structure. "It's one of Spielberg's first and, in my opinion, finest."

"Alright," Rachel laughs, "we'll have to watch it when we get home."

He smiles, raising her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips lightly against her skin.

The sun is setting and they'll have to find a hotel soon, but the Tower is quite a sight to behold. The stone sides are lined and jagged, the surface a rusty red, and it's certainly like nothing Rachel's ever seen before. The sun illuminates it as it sinks into the sky, making it even redder.

The shutter sounds as Quinn clicks the button on her camera.

"I can't believe this trip is almost over," she murmurs, glancing over at Finn and Rachel. Noah slings an arm easily around her shoulder, running a hand through his now-somewhat-unruly Mohawk. "I mean, we had our drama, but it's been pretty good overall, wouldn't you say?"

"You bet," Noah declares, placing a sloppy kiss on Quinn's temple.

"Yeah, I agree," Finn murmurs, and Rachel's stomach turns over as he looks down at her, her hand still in his own, his eyes warm.

She's overwhelmed with love for him in that moment, and love for Quinn and even Noah, but the love she feels for Finn is a different kind of love. It's a love she feels from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, a love that fills her heart and makes her want to sing.

And the way he's looking at her now makes her think he might just feel that way about her, too.

She's too scared to say it though, so she just smiles up at him, standing on her tiptoes to press a chaste kiss against his cheek.

They stand and watch the sunset for a few more moments until Finn sighs. "We really should find a place to stay for the night."

Quinn and Noah murmur in agreement, and Rachel lets Finn lead her to the car. He helps her into the passenger seat before going around and opening the driver's side door, clambering in himself. He starts the car, pulling back onto the dusty road that leads back to the interstate. Rachel puts her hand on his knee, and he smiles over at her.

She just smiles back.

* * *

_xxvi._

Noah pulls into a McDonald's just a few minutes away from Mount Rushmore for lunch. Rachel rolls her eyes at his choice, and Finn heatedly reminds him that Rachel's a _vegetarian_, but Rachel just places a comforting hand on his arm, telling him she'll be okay.

"They have salads, after all," she says, but still he looks conflicted. "Finn," she adds, "it's fine. I'll be fine."

And it is fine. Noah and Finn get burgers, Quinn gets a chicken sandwich, and Rachel has her salad. They eat pretty quickly (compared to the other meals they've had on the road), and soon enough, they're headed toward Mount Rushmore, their last major stop before they head back home.

The landmark is already crawling with people, and the parking is atrocious, but eventually they manage to find a space. Finn grabs Rachel's hand as they start up the path leading to the giant stone structure, and she smiles up at him, her heart pounding out a familiar rhythm in her chest. With each beat, she seems to love him more.

They walk a little slower, letting Quinn and Noah get ahead of them. The sun beats down on them, but they walk in and out of patches of shade, so it's not too bad. They make their way up to the viewing point for the first face (George Washington), stopping to lean against the wooden railing.

"I think I can see up his nostril," Finn says, and Rachel laughs. They're completely in the sun now, and Rachel can feel the heat through the cotton of her t-shirt, feels a bead of sweat trickle down her neck.

"It's amazing, though," she comments, ignoring the heat and looking up at the monument instead, "how they created this from a giant rock. The details of the faces, the dedication it must've taken…" She lets out a sigh. "It's just incredible."

"It kind of reminds me of you," Finn admits.

Rachel looks up at him, scrunching her nose in confusion. "How so?" she asks.

"You're just – you're dedicated, too. I mean, you're going to New York in the fall, and you're going to be on Broadway, but it's not just something you _decided_ randomly one day, you know? You've been working at it, striving for it, your entire life. And it shows. I mean, you're so talented, Rach."

She feels herself blush, but he's not done.

"And this is like a work of art, right?"

She nods.

"Yeah, exactly," he says, waving his hand out in front of him, gesturing to the monument. "And – and you're like this work of art, too. I mean, you're just – you're special, and intricate, and you have all these little details that you don't notice at first, but when you do, it makes you _that_ much more beautiful. And it's just – each time I find a new one, it just makes me fall in love with you _that_ much more."

Her breath catches in her throat. He's still staring up at the monument, not seeming to notice that he just professed his love for her for the first time. Her eyes fill with tears, and her heart pounds against her ribcage. "You're in love with me?" she manages to say softly.

He glances down at her, frowning slightly. "I – yeah, Rach. I've kind of – kind of always been. Ever since we were kids. I mean, you're my best friend, but you're _so_ much more than that. I was just always too blind to see it, but I see it now, see you standing in front of me like this big, gold star, guiding me through life, and how can I _not_ be in love with you?"

A noise escapes her throat – half a laugh, half a sob – and she flings herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss against the hollow beneath his ear. He catches her, arms wrapping around her, and he turns his head so he can capture her mouth with his own. He _loves_ her. A tear streaks down her cheek, but she doesn't bother to wipe it away.

She melts into the kiss, her legs going weak, his tongue easily sliding into her mouth. It's the first time they've kissed since the Hoover Dam, and she knows that she could go her entire life getting kisses from only Finn. She clasps his shoulders with her hands, and his hold tightens around her waist.

She breaks away when air becomes a necessity, but she smiles as he keeps his forehead pressed against hers.

"Hi," he says quietly.

She laughs. "Hi," she replies.

"So does that mean you love me, too?" he asks, eyes twinkling.

"It means you're an idiot if you think otherwise," she replies teasingly, pressing a kiss against his neck. He just squeezes her side, and she says the words anyway. "Of course I love you, Finn. I've loved you since we were five years old, since before I knew what love was." His eyes soften, and she adds, "It's always been you."

He kisses her again then, and she smiles as he does, her fingers knotting in his hair.

"This trip has been perfect," she whispers against his smile as she pulls away. "Who would've thought that by the end of this, we would end up together?"

"I'd always kind of hoped," Finn says with a smirk, his fingers hooking around her elbow, and Rachel just laughs, looping an arm around his waist as they walk further up the path, arms around each other.

She feels light, happy, carefree. She wonders if the people they pass can sense her happiness, can sense how in love she is. She feels like it's radiating off her skin, emanating from her heart and resonating in the air.

She thinks that this is what it feels like to be completely, perfectly happy. She thinks she could get used to this.

* * *

_xxvii._

The last hotel they stay in ends up being in Illinois. They have more than enough money left, so they decide to get two rooms. This time, instead of splitting into boys and girls, Noah and Quinn share one room while Finn and Rachel share the other.

"You're welcome, Hud," Noah says with a roguish wink before following Quinn into their room.

Rachel's stomach flips. She knows the implications of staying alone in a room with her boyfriend (because that's what Finn is now, isn't it?), and she thinks she's ready for that next step, the consummation of their relationship. She doesn't know where Finn stands, but he's a teenage boy, so she's pretty sure he'll be on board.

(He does want her in _that_ way, doesn't he? She certainly wants him.)

They're alone in the room, both sitting on the edge of the bed, but Finn's looking at his hands instead of her face.

Finn says that they don't have to do anything that Rachel doesn't want to do, that he doesn't want to pressure her into anything, and, really, he's so sweet that it just makes her want to have sex with him even more.

"Finn," she says gently, taking her hands in her own. He looks up at her, swallowing thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "I want to, I promise. I want you, _all_ of you."

He cups her cheek and kisses her then, and that seems to be all he needed to hear.

He's gentle and perfect, and his feather light touch makes her breath catch and her body writhe in all the right ways. He kisses her soundly when he pushes into her, murmuring that he loves her, that she's perfect, waiting until she's absolutely ready before he sets the rhythm. His name is on her tongue as she comes, and afterwards, when she curls into him, she whispers that she loves him _so much_ into his skin.

"I love you, too, baby girl," he murmurs sleepily against her hair, his fingers lightly dancing over her the soft skin of her arm.

She falls asleep listening to the steady sound of his breathing, the thrumming of his heart, and she feels at home, even though she's miles away. She figures it's because her home isn't a place at all – it's Finn.

They do say home is where the heart is, after all.

* * *

_xxviii._

They get back home on a Tuesday in the early afternoon, and it's weird, knowing that she won't see Finn every day. She's the first one dropped off, and she hugs Noah and Quinn goodbye after she gets out of the car. She turns to Finn then, wrapping her arms around his midsection and placing her head on his chest. He kisses the top of her head as he hugs her.

"I'll see you later, okay?" he promises, and she nods. "We'll go see a movie or something. Have a real first date."

She just smiles, letting him kiss her. She squeezes his hand before she heads up her driveway, and it's familiar yet surreal at the same time. She's _home_, but it's changed. Or maybe _she's_ changed. Maybe this trip changed her after all.

Her dads ask her all about her trip out west, and she tells them everything (save for her hotel rendezvous with Finn). She doesn't skirt over the drama with Quinn and Noah and Finn, tells them about Finn's standoffishness in California, about the admittance in Las Vegas and their first kiss at Hoover Dam.

Her dads are great listeners, and she can tell they're happy to see her happy. "So, you and Finn…?" her daddy asks, his gaze knowing.

She bites her lip. "He loves me, Daddy," she tells him, "and I've never been happier."

"Well, we'll have to have the boy over for dinner this week!" her dad declares, and she knows that means they approve.

She tells Finn this when they go to that movie later, and he pales a little bit when she mentions dinner.

"They already _know_ you, Finn, and you know them," she points out, stealing some of his popcorn. "You'll be fine. They already love you as much as I do." He waggles his eyebrows, and she laughs, adding, "Not like _that_."

"I'd hope not," he murmurs, and then he kisses her. He tastes like salt and butter and yet there's something indescribably _Finn _about it all.

"We have a whole summer of this," she muses, and he nods.

"Nothing but love, love, love," he grins.

She can't help but agree.

* * *

_xxix._

She's anxious about what the end of summer will bring, about what it'll mean for her and Finn. He doesn't seem nearly as worried, and she knows she should take comfort in that, but she just can't.

She's unclear on where Finn's future is taking him, and he's always incredibly vague when she brings it up. She doesn't know if it's because he simply doesn't want her to know, or if it's because he doesn't know himself.

"Finn, we _need_ to talk about this," she says one day at the beginning of August. "I'm going to New York in a matter of weeks, and I have _no idea_ what you're doing, or what that means for us, and I'm _so scared_, Finn, because I love you _so much_, and—"

"Hey, hey, _breathe_," he says gently, massaging her shoulders until her heart rate goes back down and she's breathing normally again.

"_Please_, Finn," she whispers. "Please talk to me."

He sighs, looking down for a moment. She has a brief flash of complete irrationality – _he's joining the army, he's moving to California, he's breaking up with her_ – but then he looks at her, and he's giving her a small, sincere smile, and all of her worries seemingly fade to the background.

"I was going to keep it a surprise, but I should've known that you'd manage to get it out of me," he says, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

She furrows her brow. She still has no idea what he's talking about.

"I got into Pace," he says then, and she looks at him with wide eyes.

"Pace," she says slowly, almost as if she's trying out the word.

He nods.

"Pace, as in Pace University in New York City?"

He grins, nodding again.

She lets it sink in for a moment. "You're – you're coming to New York?"

"If that's okay with you."

She launches herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she plasters kisses to wherever she can reach: his neck, his chin, his cheeks, his nose, and finally, his mouth. He reciprocates eagerly, his fingers grabbing her elbows, laughing when she pulls away, still breathless.

"Oh, Finn, of _course_ it's okay! How long have you known?"

"Since March," he admits. "But I was with Quinn then, and I knew she'd encourage me to stay here in Ohio, and I did get into OSU, but…" He shrugs. "Pace is where I wanna be. And you'll be in New York, too, so that's just icing on the already awesome cake."

"You're sure you're not just going to New York for me?" she asks, rubbing the skin of his arm with her thumb. "Because I don't want us to end up resenting each other, Finn, I don't—"

"Rach," he says firmly, cutting her off. He slides one hand up to her face, runs his fingers over the apple of her cheek. "I'm sure. I applied before this – you and me – was even happening. Yeah, I'm totally stoked you're going to be there, but that's not the only reason I'm going."

"Okay," she whispers, covering his hand with her own. She leans forward and presses her lips against his, her hand sliding lower until she's grasping the hem of his t-shirt. He moves his ministrations to her neck, and she sighs, tilting her head back.

She slides her hand up under his t-shirt until it's resting directly over his heart. She can feel it beating beneath her fingertips.

"It's yours," he breathes against her skin. "Always has been, always will be."

She smiles. "Mine, too," she promises, her fingers curling into the cotton material. "Forever yours."

She's briefly reminded of them singing "Faithfully" in the car in Texas, and she bites back a giggle as his hand cups her breast over her bra. They've come so far in such a short amount of time, and now they're going to embark on their future.

* * *

_xxx._

They've been in New York for about a month, and Rachel can't imagine a more perfect life. She and Finn share a small, shoebox apartment that's about equidistant between NYADA and Pace. They both picked up part time jobs to scrape by (him as a busboy, her working in a small music store down the street), and she has a lovely boy to come home to each night. She loves her classes, has already been cast in a few school productions. She's content, and better yet, she's happy.

It's the life she never dreamed she'd have because she thought it was out of her reach, yet here she is, in New York with the boy she's always loved.

She knows that going on the road trip to California was the best decision she's made, because it helped her be sure of who she was and where she was going, and it brought her and Finn together.

Sometimes he teases her about how she wanted to elope with him in Las Vegas, and she reminds him that he didn't say no.

"One day," he tells her, "I'm going to take you up on that offer."

"Okay," she says, but she laughs.

"I mean it, Rachel Berry," he vows. "I would've married you then, you know."

"I would've married you, too," she whispers back, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "There was something magical about that place."

"It was where I realized how I felt about you," he reminds her gently, and she smiles.

"Do you ever wish things would've happened differently?" she asks.

"No," he says, and he doesn't miss a beat, "I wouldn't change a thing."

"Me neither," she says. "I mean, all of it lead to here, this moment, and there's no place else I'd rather be."

* * *

**end.**

**i'll probably be posting an epilogue at some point, but this story will now be listed as complete! thank you so much for reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and any other way you've shown this story support and love :) you're all amazing, thank you!**


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